The Academy AU
by Kenobi417
Summary: Obi-Wan goes to teach the cadets in the Royal Academy instead of Ahsoka
1. Chapter 1

"I'm troubled, Padmé," the duchess admitted to her colleague as they were approaching her ship. She didn't know why she had voiced her thoughts when Padmé clearly already knew this, but the younger senator didn't seem to mind.

"You heard Prime Minister Almec say he'll investigate," her friend reminded her.

"His heart is in the right place," Satine said, putting on a smile that faded as quickly as it appeared. "But this corruption…" Her voice trailed off. What more could be said?

"You must have hope, Satine," Padmé told her, placing her hands on the duchess's.

"Hope will only go so far," she replied, turning away. "The very people leading this investigation might be corrupt." Who could she trust now besides Padmé? Who knew how many of her trusted allies were willing to betray her? Willing to betray their planet and people? One person came to mind, and her eyes lit up with hope. She turned back to the senator. "Perhaps a Jedi working undercover at the academy could be of service to us, and in more ways than one. For if we lose our young, Mandalore will indeed be lost."

Padmé seemed to like this idea, and a small smile formed on her lips. "I will speak with Master Yoda. Don't lose hope, my friend."

Satine took a step back. "Senator," she said with a slight bow of her head.

"Duchess," Padmé replied, returning the gesture.

Smiling, she watched her friend's ship take off after she had boarded, then turned to head back to the palace.

Igniting his lightsaber, Obi-Wan leapt out from behind cover and charged, his men following suit. He sliced down one unsuspecting battle droid after the next, until the rest noticed and turned around. Unfortunately, is was too late. By the time they had raised their weapons and shouted "Blast them," the clones and Jedi had already taken care of them.

"Good work," Obi-Wan told them, "but they'll notice when one of their squads don't report back."

"Sir," one of the clones, Wooley, spoke up, "General Fisto needs to speak with you." He held out his hand, and a hologram of the smiling Nautolan Jedi flickered to life.

" _There's a message from the Council_ ," Kit Fisto informed. " _They're reassigning you, and need you to go to Mandalore as soon as possible. They'll brief you on the way_."

Mandalore? What possibly could have happened since the last time he was there? And why did they need him? "Will someone be taking my place? I can't just leave, especially now. Every second we waste puts the Separatist ahead."

" _Skywalker and his apprentice will be arriving shortly_ ," Kit explained.

"Very well." With a slight bow of his head, the hologram faded away. He turned to Cody. "It looks like we're taking a trip, Commander."

As they made their way back to the base, a million theories were running through his head. Death Watch attack? Was the duchess in danger? Obi-Wan's stomach lurched at the possibility, and he shook his head as if to dispel the thought. At the thought of the duchess, his cheeks and the tips of his ears took on a very unprofessional shade of pink, which he hoped his beard covered enough of so his men wouldn't notice it. The Jedi didn't know if he was more happy or terrified at the chance the chance to see her again. A knot formed in his stomach as memories flooded over him of their last meeting a few months ago _. Had you said the word, I would have left the Jedi Order._ Of course he had meant it, but he wasn't sure he had meant to actually say that to her. Admitting his feelings towards her had only deepened them, causing him to be even more distracted than he already was.

Expelling a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, Obi-Wan made his way up the ramp of the Jedi shuttle, Cody accompanying him. As requested, he contacted the Council, and took the pilot's seat, waiting for his assignment. Yoda answered, alongside Senator Amidala.

"Master, Senator," he greeted.

"Corruption, there is, on Mandalore," Yoda started. "Visited the duchess, Senator Amidala did, and grave discoveries, they made."

Obi-Wan looked to Padmé for clarification. "Satine and I were going to see the opening of a hospital, and when we got there," she paused, her expression grim, "we learned that many children had been poisoned. Through some investigation, we found many corrupt officials, including the head of the school. I fear, as the duchess does, that the corruption is deep within the government. When I was leaving, she asked if I could speak with the Council about having a Jedi work undercover at the Royal Academy."

The Jedi leaned back and stroked his beard, trying to process all she had told him. "Hmm. This is troubling. What am I to do at the academy?"

"Teach the cadets, you will," Yoda explained, pointing his gimer stick at him. "How to lead the planet when they are able, they must know. Wisdom, they need."

"Am I also to try and investigate-" Obi-Wan began.

"Too involved, you must not be, young Obi-Wan," Yoda interrupted. "Do only what you must, to protect the people around you."

"Understood, Master." He looked over at Cody and nodded, signaling for him to take the ship off. "Cody and I are underway."

Once they entered hyperspace, Obi-Wan excused himself to the sleeping quarters to meditate. Sighing, he sat down, legs crossed and attempted to clear his mind of anxiety. _There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion_ … His eyes snapped open, and he sighed in frustration and tried again to focus. _There is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force._ A smile tugged at the edge of the Jedi's lips. _No emotion_ , Obi-Wan mused _._ Honestly, did a droid come up with that line? Most Jedi struggled with that line, if not all of them. Even him, the seemingly infallible Master Kenobi. When he was younger, he struggled with it quite a bit, but with Qui-Gon's training, he had overcome many struggles. No training, however, could help him overcome his emotion for the duchess, no matter how hard he tried. There was something about her, something that couldn't make him care less that the Code forbid relationships. Soon, he was going to have to see her again, and he hoped he would be able to keep his emotions in check.


	2. Chapter 2

With apprehension, the duchess watched as the Jedi shuttle approached. She felt the same as she did when he first came to investigate if Mandalore was joining the Separatists, and she couldn't say if it was a good or a bad feeling. It certainly wasn't an ideal one for trying to get work done and socializing with her peers. The Jedi had this air around him that seemed to draw in everyone's attention, including hers, if she was being honest, which frustrated her.

"My lady, if I may," said Almec, interrupting her thoughts, "um, what do the Jedi know of our ways? Do you really want them meddling with our children's education?"

She squashed down the urge to make a more unprofessional response. "Surely there is nothing wrong with exposing them to new ideas, Prime Minister." She turned to look at him with a slight half-smile, then turned her gaze back to the ship, and the auburn-haired man that was making his way down the ramp with one of his men.

"Duchess," Obi-Wan greeted, gallantly taking her hand and gifting the back of it with a kiss. They locked eyes for a moment before he turned to nod his head at Almec. "Prime Minister."

"Master Kenobi. So good to see you again." She caught the light blush on his cheeks, but decided not to call attention to it. "Commander Cody, isn't it?"

"Yes, my lady," the clone said.

"I am grateful that the Jedi Council to spare you to help instruct our leaders and peacekeepers of tomorrow. Please, thank Master Yoda for me."

"I'll be sure to tell him, Your Highness." Obi-Wan's gaze drifted to the three unfamiliar faces behind the politicians. "Cadets, I assume?"

Almec spoke up. "Oh, yes." He stepped aside and gestured to them. "Cadet Korkie, Amis, Lagos. These are some of the cadets you will be instructing, Master Kenobi."

He offered a charming smile. "I look forward to teaching all of you."

One of the cadets stepped forward and pointed to his lightsaber. "That's a fine weapon. May I see it?"

The Jedi raised an eyebrow and wasn't entirely sure he wanted to let him hold a very dangerous weapon, there was no telling what could happen. Fortunately, he was sparred the awkward burden of having to deny his request.

The boy was pulled back by the Prime Minister. "Eh, I'm afraid not. Because of your recent visit, Master Jedi, and the trouble that followed, no off-worlders may carry weapons on Mandalore."

Satine was afraid Obi-Wan might take offense to that, but he chuckled and handed his lightsaber to his commander, who, apparently, was also slightly amused.

"You caused trouble, sir?" Cody asked, allowing a small laugh while he took the weapon. "That's the first time I've heard of that."

"Thank you for respecting our ways, Master Jedi," Satine said, knowing that he wouldn't be entirely comfortable giving it up. _A lightsaber is a Jedi's life_ , she had recalled him saying during their year together with Qui-Gon.

"Well, I suppose that I shouldn't be causing too much trouble since I'm here to help and not harm." He winked at her, earning a teasing eyeroll back.

"Excuse the interruption, sir," Cody said softly, "but I should be going back. General Skywalker should be rendezvousing with General Fisto pretty soon."

"Oh, yes. I shall see you later, Cody."

As expected, he could sense the cadets' unease about a Jedi Master being their teacher. He hoped that would at least mean they were more inclined to behave and pay attention. However, if that was not the case, he was quite used to unruly, disobedient, and obnoxious students, he thought to himself with a smile. One of the cadets, the one who had asked to see his lightsaber, kept catching his eye, and he could sense he was a very curious individual. There was something more, though, and he couldn't place his finger on it. As the students kept filing in, the cadet had made eye contact with him and opened his mouth to, what Obi-Wan assumed, ask a question, but the bell sounded, cutting him off, and the boy lowered his head.

"Can anyone tell me what corruption is?" the Jedi asked, receiving multiple confused looks.

"Is it like, when people in power start abusing their position and harm the people?" a boy sitting in the front guessed.

"A good answer," Obi-Wan replied. "When people in the government put their own selfish, and often unnecessary, needs before their people, that is when the system becomes corrupt."

"So, it's a result of greed?" asked a girl with short brown hair, lifting some sort of visor off her eyes.

"Precisely. They trade their moral integrity to try and gain more wealth and power than they already have. Eventually, they stir up trouble amongst the other leaders and get so caught up in that they lose sight of the people who end up suffering because of it."

A girl with blonde hair in pig tails scrunched her brows, and he recognized her as one of the cadets he was introduced to at the platform. "Does that mean most government officials are corrupt?"

He shook his head. "No, but I've seen many strong, faithful leaders who have fallen to corruption. The temptation is out there for all of them, and the people must be wary so it doesn't take hold. The deadliest enemies of a society are found within itself. And the people must be protected from these threats."

"But if you don't trust your leaders," said another cadet he had met earlier, rubbing the back of his neck, "isn't that treason?"

"It's the mandate of every citizen to challenge their leaders," Obi-Wan explained. "Make sure they're being honest, and calling them out on it if they're not."

"How do you do that?" asked the curious cadet.

"By exposing corrupt officials for what they are. Lasting change can only come from within." This last statement seemed to cause the cadets to think, and a few of them shared thoughtful glances with each other.

Once the bell had sounded again, the same cadet had turned back to his teacher, looking at him quizzically, before trotting on to his next class. Yes, there was something very peculiar about that cadet, Obi-Wan thought, stroking his beard.

"Be sure you have completed your work for tomorrow's class," the hologram of Master Kenobi said as it spun in place, his eyes seeming to focus in on Korkie, even though they couldn't have since it was prerecorded. Korkie was no Jedi, but he could sense something odd about him, and he wasn't sure if it was the way he had looked at his aunt or the way he had brushed his lips against her hand a little longer than necessary. Or maybe it was the way that she looked at him. Korkie had never seen his auntie look at someone like that before and he didn't really know what to think about it.

Soniee's voice pulled him out of his thoughts as she let out a frustrated sigh. "The school's out of rations. _Again_."

"I guess there'll be no late-night snacks tonight," Amis grumbled, hopping off his top bunk.

Lagos shrugged her shoulders. "There's nothing we can do about it."

Amis furrowed his brow, as if contemplating how true that was, then looked at Korkie. "Couldn't you talk to your aunt? She could do something, right?"

"Probably, but she's most likely busy with other things," he said, sounding a bit more bitter than he thought he would.

"Like what?" Amis asked, crossing his arms. "Aren't starving children more important than… whatever she might be doing?"

 _She's probably busy with that Jedi_ , he wanted to blurt out, but instantly threw that possibility out. "We can figure it out ourselves. And we're not starving," he pointed out. "We've had a food shortage since the war began. Transport ships keep coming in, but there's strict rationing."

"Guys, these problems are too big for us right now," Lagos reasoned. "Just let the authorities handle it."

Korkie shook his head. "We have to do something about it, like Master Kenobi said." He turned and looked at Amis and Soniee to back him up. "Let's go down to the warehouse district and see if there really is a food shortage."

Amis offered a half smile. "Beats sitting here listening to my stomach growl."


End file.
